# Integrating Endpoint Central On-Premise with Power BI Desktop ## Introduction The Endpoint Central Custom Connector enables users to fetch and analyze data from Endpoint Central On-Premise directly within Power BI Desktop. This integration allows administrators to build powerful visualizations and reports using endpoint management data from their Endpoint Central environment. This document provides step-by-step guidance on integrating Endpoint Central On-Premise with Power BI Desktop using the Endpoint Central Custom Connector to retrieve and visualize data. ## Table of contents 1. [Prerequisites](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/integrating-endpoint-central-op-with-power-bi.html#prerequisites) 2. [Integration Steps](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/integrating-endpoint-central-op-with-power-bi.html#integration-steps) 3. [Handling Exponential Data Format](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/integrating-endpoint-central-op-with-power-bi.html#handling-exponential-data) 4. [Saving and Creating Dashboards](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/integrating-endpoint-central-op-with-power-bi.html#saving-and-dashboards) 5. [Troubleshooting Steps](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/integrating-endpoint-central-op-with-power-bi.html#troubleshooting) ## Prerequisites 1. Enable the Power BI Desktop option to bypass custom connector trust verification: 1. Open **Power BI Desktop**. 2. Go to *File > Options > Security*. 3. Enable the option “**Allow any extension to load without validating or warning**”. [![Power BI data extension settings screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-op-powerbi-data-extension.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-op-powerbi-data-extension.png) ## Integration Steps 1. Download the [Endpoint Central Connector file](https://workdrive.zohoexternal.in/external/431f2a9c11cc135c140fd7be0d122a686f95c6554a98c78c019c918c9a32f365). (SHA Checksum: 757baae9a92c708924ec0f85d9e82fc32e0ae0f44f2af56aa45f6dabc5301c72) 2. Move the downloaded file to the following directory: *\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors* **Example** *C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors* Create a folder named *Custom Connectors* if it does not already exist. 3. Close and reopen Power BI Desktop to load the connector. 4. In Power BI Desktop, go to *Get Data*, search and select **Endpoint Central On-Premise**, and click **Connect**. [![Power BI select connector screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/select-ec-op-connector.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/select-ec-op-connector.png) 5. Enter the Endpoint Central Server URL using HTTPS and click **OK**. [![Endpoint Central server URL screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/enter-ec-server-url.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/enter-ec-server-url.png) 6. Generate and enter the Endpoint Central API Key with Admin privileges. To generate API key in Endpoint Central, refer to [this document](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/api/). 7. Click **Connect** to proceed. [![Endpoint Central API screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-op-power-bi-api-key.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-op-power-bi-api-key.png) 8. The connector will list all available modules for your account. Expand the drop-down list and select the required tables under each module. 9. A sample data preview will appear in the right-hand pane for verification. [![Power BI module selection screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-module-selection.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-module-selection.png) ## Handling Exponential Data Format Some columns may display data in exponential format. To make these values readable, use one of the following methods: ### Option 1: During “Transform Data” 1. Identify the affected column in the data preview window and click **Transform Data**. [![Power BI transform data screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-5.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-5.png) 2. In the Power Query Editor, select the column, go to **Data Type**, and choose **Whole Number**. 3. Click **Apply & Close**. [![Power BI apply data type screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-6.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-6.png) ### Option 2: After Data Load 1. In the **Table View**, select the column. 2. Go to **Column Tools > Data Type** and select **Whole Number**. [![Power BI column tools data type screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-7.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-7.png) Note: This is a one-time action. Once updated, Power BI will retain the data type even after future refreshes. ## Saving and Creating Dashboards 1. Use the imported data to create [custom reports and dashboards](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/index.html) in Power BI. 2. Go to *File > Save* and store your project as a **.pbix** file for future use. ## Troubleshooting Steps ### Ensure Latest Power BI Desktop Version Verify that you are using the most recent version of Power BI Desktop. ### Enable Diagnostic Logging 1. Open Power BI Desktop. 2. Go to *File > Options and settings > Options > Diagnostics*. 3. Check **Enable tracing** and enable all **Diagnostics** levels and **Additional Diagnostics** options. [![Power BI diagnostics settings screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-8.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-8.png) 4. Click **Collect Diagnostic Information** and choose **Restart with Tracking** when prompted. [![Power BI restart with tracking screenshot](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-9.png)](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/ec-power-bi-9.png) 5. After restarting, confirm that all selected options remain active. ### Reproduce the Error 1. Go to *File > Options and settings > Data Source Settings*. 2. Clear all existing permissions. 3. Repeat the steps that trigger the error to generate logs. ### Locate Trace Logs 1. Navigate to the Traces folder: `%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Power BI Desktop\` 2. Zip the **Traces** folder. ### Collect Diagnostic Information 1. Go to *File > Options and settings > Options > Diagnostics > Collect Diagnostic Information*. 2. Choose the destination folder for the zip file. 3. Power BI will create a file named **PBIDesktopDiagnosticInfo..zip** in the selected location. 4. Share both the trace and diagnostic zip files with the [Endpoint Central support team](mailto:endpointcentral-support@manageengine.com) for analysis.